Courtesy of Kimanzi Constable
- The cost of living in the US was too much, so I moved my family to Thailand.I got an apartment, our visas, and set up our life in a matter of days.I wish I had moved to a country with less bureaucracy sooner, because life is much easier.
I don't have the closest relationship with my parents, but I'm grateful that they exposed me to travel early in life. My mother is Kenyan and sent my brother and me to live with our aunt in Kenya when I was 12 years old.
That trip to Kenya, as well as trips throughout my formative years, instilled in me a love of travel.
As an adult, I continued to travel and even moved my family from Wisconsin to Maui. I've also lived in Medellín, Colombia, in several countries in Europe, and have spent periods traveling continuously.
My wife and I have six children between us, all of whom are now adults. When we thought about how we wanted to spend our empty nest years, we decided the goal would be to retire early at 50 (for me) and 55 (for my wife) and to move abroad.
Thailand offers the cost of living we're looking for with affordable, world-class healthcare. What we didn't expect was how easily we could set up our lives in a foreign country.
It's too expensive to retire in the US
The cost of living in the US continues to rise, especially in Florida, where we used to live. When we looked at the numbers, it became obvious that we couldn't reach our financial goals if we stayed in America.
Since we've traveled extensively, we've come to realize that many countries offer a better cost of living and lifestyle upgrades, such as the ability to hire help, affordable healthcare, easy-to-obtain visas, and the opportunity to save more of our money due to lower expenses.
We weighed our options and decided to call Thailand home.
Within three days, we were set to live in Thailand
After deciding to move to Thailand with a few of our adult kids, we got to work, applying for visas and exploring areas where we wanted to live. I also booked a trip to Bangkok to set up our life.
I set up apartment tours before I left the US. I landed in Bangkok, toured four apartments the next day, and signed a two-year lease by the evening of the second day.
The lack of bureaucracy and fees was shocking compared to what I'm used to in America.
I didn't need a credit check (or the credit check fee), a background check (or the background check fee), renter's insurance, or to pay the $8,550 in upfront costs we paid for the last place we rented in the US.
I also didn't have to wait a few weeks to a month for everything to process.
I paid the first and last month's rent via the Wise app, and our family was set. The apartment complex helped us set up all of our services (electricity, WiFi, water) the next day.
Securing visas was surprisingly easy, too. Before I left for Thailand, we were approved for a five-year DTV visa, which was granted in less than a week.
It was surprisingly easy to move abroad
The process of setting up our life in a new country contrasts with the lengthy and bureaucratic processes I've faced in every place I've lived in the US throughout my life. It was never quick and always involved numerous layers.
The beauty of a life with less bureaucracy is that it frees my mind and finances. Rather than always being on the grind and hustling to pay for life, I have access to affordable care, lifestyle upgrades, and lower costs in Thailand.
Since moving abroad, I've been working less and spending time doing fun things like reading, watching movies, learning a new language, and exploring the country. My income has also gone further.
I wish I had moved across the world sooner.
